Automatic lock slider for slide fasteners



June 12, 1962 A. E. CARLILE ETAL 3,038,228

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS Filed April 21, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 20 l 8 Tan '3.

INV EN TORS 415950 E. CAXL/LE JA MES I/OOE/WC'H/JR June 12, 1962 A. E. CARLILE ETAL 3,033,228

AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SLIDE FASTENERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 21, 1959 3,038,228 AUTOMATIC LOCK SLIDER FOR SlLlDE FASTENERS Alfred E. Carlile and James L. Vodenichar, Meadville,

Pa., assignors to Talon, Inc, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 21, 1959, Ser. No. 807,797 6 Claims. (Cl. 24-20514) This invention relates to sliders for slide fasteners and, more particularly, to an improved automatic lock slider therefor.

Various types of automatic lock sliders have been heretofore suggested and used and while most of these were practical and satisfactory for most purposes, they were entirely unsatisfactory for other purposes especially if garments or articles with which the sliders were incorporated were subjected to frequent laundering or pressing operations. Oftentimes the locking member of such sliders would become deformed or displaced from the slider body during pressing or laundering destroying the locking effect of the locking member and defeating the purpose for which the locking member was intended, namely, to lock the slider against unintentional movement along the fastener.

Also, most types of automatic lock sliders heretofore suggested and used consisted of a multiplicity of parts which were expensive and diflicult to fabricate and assemble, thereby resulting in a relatively expensive product. Further, in many constructions the locking member extended out a considerable distance beyond the wing of the slider body on which it was mounted thereby lending itself to destructive forces which, of course, was also objectionable.

Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic lock slider for slide fasteners in which all the above mentioned disadvantages have been eliminated and which is simple in its construction and, at the same time, efficient and effective in its use.

It is a most important object of the invention to provide an improved automatic lock slider wherein there is provided a new and novel manner of attaching the locking member to the slider body and means for supporting the same so as to eliminate any danger of damage or deformation thereof.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved automatic lock slider wherein overall thickness of the slider is reduced to a minimum so that the locking member will not be projected an unreasonable distance beyond the Wing of the slider body on which it is mounted.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent in the course of the following specification, and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown for the purpose of illustration, an embodiment which our invention may assume in practice.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a slide fastener having the improved automatic lock slider in accordance with the present invention incorporated therewith,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of our improved automatic lock slider,

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken on ling 33 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1 with the fastener elements removed,

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the slider body, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the locking member before assembly on the slider body.

3,h38,228 Patented June 12, 1962 Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1, a conventional type slide fastener comprising a series of spaced-apart interlocking fastener elements 2 attached to the opposed beaded edges of a pair of stringer tapes 3. There is mounted on the fastener elements 2, the slider, generally designated at 4, of the present invention for longitudinal movement therealong for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. This slider consists generally of a body member having spacedapart upper and lower wings 5 and 6, respectively, connected at one end thereof by a neck portion 7 so as to i provide substantially a Y-shaped channel 8 within the slider body.

According to the present invention, there is arranged on the outer side of the upper wing 5 centrally thereof and adjacent the neck portion 7, a lug 9 having a transversely extending slot 10 arranged in the upper or rearward side thereof facing the neck portion end of the slider body and preferably inclined with respect to the wing 5. To each side of this hook-like lug 9, there is arranged an outwardly projecting portion 12 having an inclined surface or shoulder 13.

There is provided an elongated yieldable locking member 14, which is made preferably from relatively thin resilient metallic stock. The upper end of this locking member 14 is preferably arcuated, as at 15, and there is arranged in this arcuated attaching portion, a substantially rectangular-shaped aperture 16 so as to provide a transversely extending bar-like portion 17 at that end of the locking member. On the outer side of this bar-like portion 17, there is arranged a pair of spacedapart leg like portions 18 with one positioned at each end thereof.

The transversely extending bar-like portion 17 is positioned in the transverse inclined slot 10 of the hook-like lug 9 and held securely therein by the hook portion thereof which extends through the aperture 16 and around the bar-like portion 17 so as to firmly grip and envelop the same. In such position it will be seen that the inner side of the arcuated portion 15 rests normally upon the inclined surfaces or shoulders 13 to either side of the hook-like lug 9 and that the ends of the leg-like portions 18 rest on the outer side of the upper wing 5 to either side of the hook-like lug 9 so as to aid in supporting the locking member and to prevent distortion and displacement thereof.

On the opposite or free end of the locking member 14, there is arranged a locking projection 19 which extends normally into and through an aperture 20 in the wing 5 and into the slider channel 8 so as to engage the fastener elements 2 therein to prevent unintentional movement of the slider therealong in a manner well known to those skilled in the art.

In the free end of the locking member 14 at a spaced distance above the locking projection 19, there is arranged a substantially rectangular-shaped aperture 21 into and through which extends a hook-like lug 22 which cooperates with the lower wall of this aperture 21 to limit the outward movement of the locking member. To either side of this hook-like lug 22, there is arranged preferably an outwardly projecting portion 23 having an inclined surface or shoulder 24 which also aids in supporting normally the locking member 14.

There is provided a pull member 25 having a transversely extending trunnion portion 26 at one end thereof which is disposed in under the arcuated portion 15 of the locking member 14 and between the same and the outer surface of the Wing 5 for actuating the locking member and the slider in an obvious manner.

It will be noted that both of the hook-like lugs 9 and 3 22 are substantially of the same height and that the former extends at least to the outer side of the arcuated portion 15 of the locking member 14 so as to protect the same against any crushing effect to which the slider might be subjected when in use.

It will be seen that the hook-like lug portion '9 not only securely holds the locking member 14 in position on the slider wing but protects the locking member from any forces which might tend to distort the same, especially when the slider is subjected to a pressing operation. The opposite end of the locking member is free to move when the pull member 25 is manipulated, as shown in the broken lines of FIG. 4, but is limited in its outward movement by the hook-like lug 22.

As a result of our invention, it will be seen that there is provided a new and novel automatic lock slider consisting of a minimum number of parts which can be easily and inexpensively fabricated and assembled, and a lock slider that is neat in appearance and rugged in its construction.

While we have shown and described an embodiment and a modification thereof which our invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustration and description, and that other forms may be devised within the scope of our invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, a slider body comprising a pair of spaced-apart wing portions connected at one end by a neck portion so as to provide a channel therebetween, a lug portion arranged on the outer side of one of said wing portions integral therewith adjacent said neck portion, a yieldable arcuated plate-like locking member mounted on said wing, said locking member having an angularly arranged attaching portion at one end thereof, said attaching portion having an aperture arranged therein so as to provide a transversely extending bar-like portion on the extreme end thereof, said lug portion having a hook-like portion arranged integrally therewith so as to provide a transversely extending slot on the side thereof facing the neck portion of said slider body, said lug portion extending through said aperture with the bar-like portion positioned in said slot so that the hook-like portion extends around said bar-like portion to envelop and firmly grip the same whereby that end of the locking member is securely positioned on said wing, a locking projection arranged on the opposite free end of said locking member which projects normally through an opening in said wing into said slider channel, and a pull member having a transversely extending trunnion portion on one end thereof which is disposed between the arcuated portion of said locking member and the adjacent wing portion forwardly of said lug portion.

2. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 1, including means for limiting the outward movement of the free end of said locking member.

3. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 2, wherein the means for limiting the outward movement of the free end of said locking member consists of an aperture arranged in said locking member immediately above said locking projection and a booklike lug portion arranged on the outer side of said wing which extends into and through said aperture co-operating with a side wall thereof to limit the outward movement of the free end of said locking member.

4. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 1, including a pair of spaced-apart leglike portions arranged on the outer side of said bar-like portion which rest on the outer side of said Wing portion to either side of said lug portion adjacent the neck portion.

5. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 3, wherein both of said lug portions on said wing are substantially the same height and extend at least to the outer side of said locking member.

6. In a lock slider for slide fasteners, the combination as defined in claim 1, including a shoulder arranged angularly to either side of said lug portion for supporting the side of the attaching portion of said locking member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,373,523 Winterhalter Apr. 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,157,918 France Sept. 19, 1955 264,280 Switzerland Oct. 15, 1949 

